Railroad-car



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. E. ELLIOTT.

RAILROAD GAR. 110397.902. Patented Feb. 19,1889.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2'.

W. E. ELLIOTT.

RAILROAD GAR.

Patented Feb. 19,- 1889.

N, vrmis phm-mhe m vwi. Washinginn. 0,1;

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

'W; E. ELLIOTT.

RAILROAD GAR.

Patented Feb NJETENS, Pmwmho w. Wahingmn u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

VILLIAM E. ELLIOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAI LROAD-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,902, dated February19, 1889.

Application filed May 29, 1888- $erial No. 275,479. (No model.)

T0 to whom it may cancer/t:

Be it known that I, \YILLIAM E. ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Railroad-Cars, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for lessening theindependent oscillation or lateral movement of the cars of a train, andwhich have heretofore consisted of opposing spring-seated frictionplates or buffers attached to adjacent cars and bearing against eachother at all times under strong tension; but it is well known that suchdevices only partially subserve the intended purpose and reduce theoscillation in a hardlyperceptible degree, because of the necessarilylimited power of the springs seating the friction-plates and the factthat the bearing-surfaces of. said plates soon become worn so smooth asto produce little or no friction when in contact, the parts sliding uponeach other with every slight impulse whether powerful-or weak springsare employed, and very powerful springs cannot be employed. in 0011-nection with the superstructure of cars as at present constructed.

The prime object of my invention is to have a yielding and continuous orunbroken connection between adjacent cars at such a point above theplatform as will substantially lessen the oscillation or vibration ofthe cars indcpendently of each other.

Another object of my invention is to have a yielding connection betweenadjacent cars extending obliquely to their length, and, further, to havesuch. oblique connections continuous or unbroken from car to car.

Other objects are to have such continuous connection between adjacentcars detachably or separably connected therewith, whereby it may bereadily detached from either car or entirely disconnected from both carswhen said cars are uncoupled, and to provide certain details ofconstruction in the carrying out of my invention, all as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a perspectiveview of a portion of the ends of adjacent cars, showing the devicesapplied thereto embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof witha portion of the roofs of the cars broken away; Fig. 3, a perspectiveview of one of the coupling-plates attached to the car-frame, by whichthe yielding connection is detachably secured in position; Fig. 4-, ahorizontal section there of; Fig. 5, a detail transverse section on theline 5 5 of Fig. 9, and. Fig. (i a similar section on the line ii (i ofthe same figure; Figs. 7, 8, and 9, detail views of a modified form ofthe yielding connection.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the carsuperstructure, and B angular coupling-plates secured to saidsuperstructure on the ends and at the upper corners thereof by means ofbolts, screws, or any other suitable devices which will serve to holdthe said coupling-plates firmly in position; but I may here state thatthe form of these coupling-plates is immaterial, and they need notnecessarily be located at the side edges of the superstructure so longas they will subserve the intended purpose. Two of these coupling-platesare designed to be attached to each end of a car, and each is providedwith a coupling-pin, C, the upper end of which is bent ata right anglethereto, so as to form a horizontal arm, D, against the upper end ofwhich bears a vertical rod, E, pivotally connected therewith and workingloosely through perforations in the coupling-plate, the said rodextending downwardly from said plate a sufficient distance to be withineasy reach of the operator, and preferably has its end formed into ahandle, F, for convenience of manipulation. By means of this red thecoupling-pin may be elevated so as to couple or uncouple the connectionsas hereinafter described, the said rod being also provided with acollar, G, thereon to prevent the complete withdrawal of thecoupling-pin from the plate.

Between each pair of couplings, but extending obliquely across the endsof the car, so that one end connects with one of the cars at one sideand the other end at the opposite side of the adjacent car, is theyielding connection hereinbefore referred to, consisting of the rods ItI, arranged in pairs, each pro vided at their outer ends with eyes J,through which the coupling-pins pass, the inner ends of said rods beingpreferably rectangular in eross section, as more clearly shown in Figs.

form a square. Sleeved upon these rods, and holding the inner ends ofeach pair thereot parallel and close together, are disk like platesl(,between which, and. also sleeved upon said rods, are con lined strongcoil-springs L, the said disk in turn being confined between lugs 1i N,rigidly secured to said rods H and 1, respectively, one near the extremeend of said rods and one toward the opposite end thereof, both beytmdsaid disk s, the whole :t'orming a sliding or'telescope connection.between each pair of said rods,whieh are guided and prevented fromseparating solely by the disk-like plates K, hereinbel'ore referred to.The lugs on the rods are so located that the springs at all times areunder a slight tension, and are so arranged that no matter whichdirection the rods are moved relative Thus it will be seen that withthetwo sets i of rods and springs or the double yielding connection shownin the drawings extending obliq uely between the adjacent ears,wheneve'reither car lurches to one side or the other, both ctmnections will.operate, although the rods in one (amnection are extemlcd, while in theother they are telescoped; and it is there fore obvious that either oneof these connections might be dispenses] with and the same result beaccomplished; but in that case it would be lound advantageous to makethe springs stronger than it a pair of such connections were employed.

If found desiralgile, in order to facilitate the coupling of the rods ofthe yielding connection with the coupling-plates, the said rods mayl'ieprovided with a rule or knuckle joint, O,which when broken enables thecoupling of the rods to the plates while the springs are not undertension, the. said joint being ai'terward reset by lorcin the rods backinto alignment, which at the sametime puts the springs under the desiredtension, the joint being at such a character that the tension tends tostitl'en or hold the joint in its normal unbroken position.

In Figs. 7, S, and ti l have shown two modilied forms of a yielding()Illl(}( 'il-l()ll between the cars, which, although different in formand construction, are fully within the spirit of my invention, thedevice shown in Figs. 7 and 8 being merely a reversal in the location ofthe parts shown in the n'eferred construe tion-that to say, instead ofone spring in the center of the rods, midway between thecoupling-plates, two springs, a, are provided for each rod, one at eachend thereof, and con- -fined in suitable boxes or casings, b, which havea pivot-connection with the coupling plates, either by means of thecoupling- I pin hereinbetfore described or by means of 5 and 6, so thatwhen placed together they will.

trunnions c, cast upon the box. The rods it I pass loosely through saidbox, and are provided with lugs or collars (t at: each end oi the box,between which are located disks e, between which latter is confined thecoiled spring a, before ment ioned,the said disks aeting alternatelytom'nnpress the spring according to the direction in which therod ismoved in the box.

,lhe rods ,ll '1 are rigidly connected at the center bymeansoltherightandlett threaded coupllug-sleeves ]"an adjustment en bling thefitting ot the device to di lferent cars-and such a connection as thishas a neater appearance upon the ears, and not only conceals thesprings, but protects them from the lot g ment thereon of dust andcinders, which might tend. to cause olijectionable wear between theparts.

In Fig. .l I have shown still another term of eommctitm embodying myinvention, in which the rods H and l upon the same earare coimcctedbytransverse horizontal bars, g, one connecting each pair olf rods ll. land extending a short distance each side of the center of the car, thesaid bars g/ lying parallel. with each other and connected and guided intheir longitudinal movement by disks 71, similar to the disks K of thepreferred con SlZl'lKlltlll, between which are con lined a coiled.spring, 1', sleeved upon and encom mssi ng both of said bars r the disks7t being in turn contined betwecnr lugs or collarsj upon the ends of thebars g,which operate the same as those of the preferred construction. Inthis connection, as in that of the preferred construction, the strainwill be transferred obliquely across between the cars and distributed toboth sides thereof, one'set of rods, H, upon one car and I upon theother operating at a time to compress the spring when the car moves toone side, the other set operating when the ear moves in the oppositedirection, and all of them o erating to maintain the ear in its centraland upright position and to return it to that position whenever theimpulse is overcome bythe tension of the spring,

Another obvious tnoditieation is the duplication of the obliqueconnections shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus: by having two pairs of thectnmections extending from the center of the car to one edge and t wemore pairs extending from the center to the opposite edge, or

two pairs set obliquely and parallel, one extending from the edge of onecar to the center of the o posite car and the other from the center ofthe firstanentioned car to the edge of the o j)posite ear. Then, again,the yielding connection, instead of extending obliquely between thecars, might extend directly across from car to car longitudinally orparallel with the car, and hence it will be 1111" derstood that myinvention is not limited to any specific form of yielding connection,but, broadly stated, consists of a continuous or unbroken yieldingconnection between adja cent cars at such a point above the platform aswill substantially diminish the oscillation or vibration of such carsindependently of or relatively to each other, and, in a more limitedsense, to a yielding connection, whether continuous or otherwise,between adjacent cars extending obliquely to their length.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with the adjacent cars, of a yielding connectionbetween and secured at both extremities to said cars and extendingobliquely to their length, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. The combination, with the adjacent cars, of a continuous yieldingconnection between and attached directly to said cars at bothextremities and extending obliquely to their length, substantially asand for the purpose described.

3. The adjacent cars and the coupling-plates secured to the endsthereof, in combination with a pair of rods extending between saidcoupling-plates and connecting said cars, a sliding connection betweensaid rods, lugs or collars 011 said rods, and a coiled spring sleevedupon said rods and confined between the collars thereon, substantiallyas described.

4. The adjacent cars and the coupling-plates secured to the ends thereofat opposite sides of the center, in combination with rods connectingsaid coupling-plates and extending obliquely between said cars, asliding connection between said rods, lugs or collars upon said rods,and a coiled spring sleeved upon said rods and confined between saidcollars, substantially as described.

5. The adjacent cars and the coupling-plates secured to the ends thereofat each side of the center, in combination with rods connecting eachpair of coupling-plates on opposite cars and extending obliquely to saidcars and to each other, a sliding connection between said rods, lugs orcollars on each of said rods, and coiled springs sleeved on each of saidrods and confined between the said collars, substantially as described.

6. The adjacent cars, the couyfling-plates secured to the ends thereof,and rods connected to said coupling-plates and extending obliquelybetween said cars, in combination with a pair of lugs on each of saidrods, disks sleeved upon and constituting a sliding connection betweensaid rods, said disks being confined between each pair of lugs, and acoiled spring sleeved upon said rods and confined between the disks,substantially as described.

7. The adjacent cars and the coupling-plates secured to the endsthereof, in combination with a pair of rods extending bet veen saidcoupling-plates and connecting said cars, a sliding connection betweensaid rods, a detachable connection between said rods andcoupling-plates, lugs or collars on said rods, and a coiled springsleeved upon said rods and confined between the collars thereon, substantially as described.

\VILLIAM E. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

WILL R. OMOHUNDRO, ALBERT M, BENNETT.

